If the harvest is plentiful, thank God for horses

Repost: Printing for preaching

If you’re still one who prints their sermon scripts, here’s some tips I’ve picked up from others;

Print to read at a glance; Use 15pt font or larger, double spaced, 2cm margins

Serif fonts (e.g. Times) are easier to read fast than Sans-serif fonts (the pointy tips on the characters help the eye flow onto the next character).

If you lean against your lectern, it’s worth keeping the lower third of your page empty because otherwise you’ll need to tilt your head down to read it.

Print page numbers, just in case they get out of order

List any props or slides you need to remember on the top of the first page (no use remembering half way through your talk when you actually need them)

Don’t print on both sides of the page (you’ll forget whether to flip or discard each page)

Most printing preachers I’ve seen choose not to place their finished page at the back of their stack as they go. Rather, they slide each page to the right, keeping two pages face up, and end up with a reverse-ordered stack at the end of the talk.

Write your opening prayer, but don’t write you closing one. Each talk lands slightly differently, so it’s worth praying from that uniqueness because its not a lecture, it’s not an mp3; it’s the word of The Lord for those there at that unique instance. Pray for them.